Study: Poor customer service pushes shoppers to switch brands

New data out from inContact underlines what many businesses already believe: poor customer influences shoppers to switch brands. Researchers found that 8 in 10 shoppers 'are willing to switch' brands because of poor customer service interactions.

Researchers also found that more than half of consumers prefer the human touch when it comes to customer service, with only 42% reporting they were satisfied with either self-assist or agent-assisted customer service channels.

"This important research confirms that, even as we make incredible advances in technology and automation, companies are still struggling to deliver consistent, excellent customer service across all touchpoints," said Paul Jarman, CEO at inContact. "To stay competitive, businesses today need to win every interaction with their customers. Cloud contact center technology enables companies to meet and exceed consumers' high expectations by deploying technology that enables seamless customer service, regardless of the channel."

• Interactive Voice Response and email were cited as the 'most frustrating' customer service channels
• Lack of personalization and speed are reasons customers said they were frustrated with those channels
• Gen X respondents were found to hold brands to higher customer service standards than Millennials
• Millennials were found to give more poor ratings to businesses

Airlines, credit card companies, and retailers received the highest customer service marks while car rental brands, fast food restaurants, and internet providers received the lowest customer service marks.

When a customer feels that no one is willing to help them, they are more likely to look for another brand with great customer service. Customers want to feel secure and assisted whenever they need it. Since they are customers, they are buying not only the quality of the product or service, but also how they are treated by the business, especially if they are loyal customers or VIP.